“The Gutting of Radio Australia”

We’re sitting on the grass in the village of Matangi on the island of Futuna. This is one of the more isolated communities in Vanuatu, a small group of houses on a small island at the southeastern extreme of the archipelago.

“We rely a lot on Radio Australia when there’s a cyclone coming,” says Miranda, a member of the island’s Community Disaster Committee. “We have no telephone on this side of the island and we often can’t hear Radio Vanuatu.”

As Australia debates budgets, debt and deficits, we rarely hear the views of communities affected by planned cuts. Whether it’s the size of the aid budget or the resourcing of the international services of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, or ABC, our neighbours have little input into decisions that affect their lives.

The latest blow is the planned redundancy of eighty staff from ABC International following the Abbott government’s decision to take Australia Network television away from the ABC. Revoking the $250 million TV contract – with just ninety days’ notice – has had an impact well beyond television. Given the integration of TV, radio and online services within ABC International, the decision affects not only Australia Network but also the other international services providing crucial information to the islands region.

2 Responses to “The Gutting of Radio Australia”

Maybe, Australia’s neighbors should ponder CONTRIBUTING to ABC in some formal, contractual arrangement. I’m sure that both Australia’s TAXPAYERS and ABC would appreciate the additional financial assistance from Australia’s neighbors. Why is it that some people feel so helpless that they insist on using other people’s money instead of their own resources to achieve some end?. Either contribute to ABC or form a coalition on various islands to expand a radio network of low power shortwave transmitters. Maybe, Radio Vanuatu could use some CONSTRUCTIVE help from the local community as well. Bottom line: Get involved to improve the society of your local community.

I’ll be patiently waiting to hear new shortwave transmissions originating from the Pacific Islands one day.